The flooring retailer Walton Flooring Centre is a North West based domestic and commercial flooring supplier and the winner of two Retailer of The Year awards for both the Merseyside and Knowsley regions in 2017. They are a flooring business that is resolute to continue to grow with a drive and determination that is unstoppable in 2018 and beyond, with growth and expansion plans for the North West and beyond.
After projecting a turnover of £2.5m by the end of last year, they were delighted to see their business adding over 15% to this projection, smashing a goal they were unsure they could achieve at the start of that year.
Walton Flooring Centre has gone from strength to strength and now has its sights set on opening a further three stores this year, with the aim of reaching a turnover of £8m by the end of 2019, doing this by adding stores to their portfolio in new regions such as Cheshire and Lancashire.
James Harper, Managing Director, who turned 30 at the end of 2017 opened his first store in Walton, Liverpool in October 2011. After a particularly good first year, he started to realise that he wanted to create a retailing format that could be rolled out across the region. He went on to open his second store in Wavertree in 2013, just four miles from the Walton store. He soon added Burscough into the mix, which was initially a tough move, due to it being slightly out of the region. James kept focused and true to his belief that the format could work and the store quickly became the most profitable of the three.
After basing their head office in Huyton, Knowsley in 2016 and opening their fifth store on the Wirral last year, achieving the two Retailer of the Year accolades have helped recognise and reward the team for all their continued efforts. These awards have also enabled the business to thank their customers for choosing Walton Flooring Centre as their preferred flooring supplier.
Today it is a business that has grown beyond anything James had envisaged back in the early days. All achieved under its own steam and without any external financial backing. There is a genuine drive that is felt across the entire business and excitement that he is keen to share with those that will become part of this independent family business.
James recognises that the business could not have grown without the support of the communities in which it is based, and he is looking to develop a structured programme of activity in 2018 that can contribute back, by offering free flooring products and fittings to local causes. He is also keen to give his employees the chance to provide their skills and expertise for free to causes in need.
Another passion for James is to develop close links with employability organisations and apprenticeship schemes to bring in young talent, that can grow as the business grows. After starting his first job in the flooring sector when he was just 20 James knows the academic route isn’t always suited to everyone. He has the aspiration to support the growth and development of young people in becoming integral to the success of the Walton Flooring Centre business.
James comments – ‘I went into business initially to make money but quickly realised that employing people to work for a business that has their best interests at heart will always create a more successful business, where everyone benefits. I am so proud of how far we have all come and winning the awards in 2017 cemented the fact that I have a fantastic team. I am looking to bring more like-minded people into the fold, to grow with our business’
